Hydrocarbon-engine.



F. L. NICHOLS.

HYDROGARBON ENGNE.

APPLIUATION FILED 'EEB.2,1907.

Patented July 6, 1909.

' UNITED srnrns param? OFFICE. I

FRANK L. NICHOLS, OFy STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, SSIGNOR TO NICHOLS QUADRUPLE TRACTION VEHICLE AND POWER COMPANY, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, A CORPO- RATION F NEW YORK.

nYDaocAaBoN-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented July 6, ieee.

Anneleen mea February 2, 1907. senin No. :waarm-Y F irfield and State of Connecticut, have inlyihted anew and: useful Improvement f in /ydrocarbon- Engines, of which the following is specifica- V tion. l

My invention relates to hydrocarbon englnes with the ob] ect in view of simplifying vthe structure and rendering the feed uniform and eflicient.

A practical embodiment of myinvention is repiresented in the accompanyin 1drawing w ch shows the engine in vertice section.

invention contemplates an oil feed mec anism under the control ol. the pressure of the air within the cylinder and crank cas v 111g and further contemplates a particular construction of cylinder `head which will maintain sufficient heat within the chamber to thoroughlyvvaporize the mixture and -at the same time prevent overheating and conse uent premature heating.

he accompanying drawing represents in vertical'secton an engine embodying my inverition.

The 'cylinder in which the piston reciprocates is denoted by 1. which forms a continuation ofthe cylinder is denoted by 2. The iston is denoted by 3l 4and the combustion c amber within the cylinder head by 4. Air is admitted t'o the cylinder 1 through a port 5 which is lgoc'ated in positionto be opened when the iston is at .the limit of its upward stroke. he exhaust takes place through a' ort 6 whichis sovlo' cated as to beopened w en the piston reaches `the limit of its' downward stroke..

The cylinder head is composed of an `outer wall'7 `which is water jacketed by means of a -circulatioxrofwater in the space 8 between the outer casinglofthe` engine 9 and the said cylinder head isfurtherprovided with an inner wall 10 spacedfrom the outer wall `7 leaving an air space between the outer wall of the cylinder head and the inner wall or lining so that the inner Vwall or lining may become maintained at adcgree of temperature to in sure rapidyaporizin'g' of the The crank casing such for example, as kerosene oil is employed,

and, at the same time will be kept from reaching a degree of temperature high enough to produceprernature exphniionsv because of the outer cooled wall 7 oi the cyl'iik der head which will absorb the heat across the air space 11.

In the top of the cylinder head there is located a valve 12 for. admitting the explosive mixture into the combustion chamber aand this valve is held seated by aspiring 13 inter top of the valve seat -being in the form of aspider as. is common.

An air passage 16 extends upwardly from the crank casing along the side of the cylinder 1 and over the cylinder head and over the outer wall of the cylinder head '7 and to this' passageway 16 in proximity tothe iJalve seat 15 there projects the fuel discharge tube 17 provided on its end with the atoinizing screen 18. This tube 17 has an o lening 19 in its under side across which, Witiiin the-tube 17, the fuel discharge nozzle 2O extends, the said nozzle terminating within the tube 17 between the opening 19V and the atomiaing screen 18. y

vFuel is admitted to the discharge nozzle i2() by means o1 a valve 21, the stem of wl'iich is connected with a diaphragm 22 held in a support 23,1in such a manner as to be ree to vibrate to a limited' extent and subject on its outer side to the pressure of the air throughv the passageway 1 6 and through a branch passageway 24 leading from the passageway 16 at its upper portion'around the support 23 to the outerface of the diaphragm 22. Y

llated by means' of a screw Q5 set in the cap 26 and pr'midedl with a knurled' head 27 fon operatin it. The cap 26 isv made Jtast to the outer en( of the support Z3 and forms a cover for the diaphragm 22.

-' In operation, the upw ardstroke of thepis ton rareiies the air Within the cylinder and crank casing below it 'and hence in the passageways 16 and branch passageway 2A per `mitting the diaphragm 221Go move outwardly and o en the valve 21 to admit h' drocarbon Heel. thenozzlezo aus n tube ir.I4

posed betweenl a collar 14 on itsstem and theI 15, the Valve seat itself f The limit of Iinovementbi the valve `21 underfthe influence ci the diaphragm is negu- Cil llhen the piston 3 reaches the upward limit of its stroke, air will be admitted througl'i the port 5 to equalize the pressure Within and without the crank casing or part of the cylinder immediately connected therewith and when the piston under the pressure ofthe eX- plosive charge is forced downwardly, it will compress the air in the crank casing and through the passageways 16 and branch passageway24 o erating the diaphragm 22 in a direction to c ose the'valve 21 and, at the same time, Will force the hydrocarbon deposited Within the tube 17 out through the vaporizing screen 18. This takes place by `the entrance of the air through the opening 19 into the tube 17 behind the charge of fuel which has been deposited in the tube by the nozzle 20. At the same time, this return movement/'of the piston as it approaches its liinit of stroke, will exhaust the products of combustion through the exhaust ports-6 and will thus permit the valve 12 to open under the pressure of air in the passageway 16 and thel'uel mixed with air Will pass through the spider 'valve seat 15 and pass the valve 12- into the combustion chamber 4L. In passing by the-'valve 12 the air and fuel will vbe thrown into direct contact with the flanges 28 within the top part of the combustion chamber and because of the heat of the chamber and these i'langes, the fuel and air will become thoroughlyT mixed ready to be ignited by van electric spark or any other suitarble means of ignition when the charge has become compressedv by the vadvance movefl ment ofthe piston. By regulating the screw 27, the piston may be made to draw just such a charge of fuel as may be required forthe best results and this" charge will be uniformly and directly introduced, atomized and forced into the combustion chamber by the pressure of the air back ofthe piston and the exhaust of the products of Icombustion infront of it. lllhat is claimed is 1. A hydrocarbon engine comprising a cylinder, a combustion chamber at. the end of the cylinder, a closed crank casing at the oposite end of the cylinder, a passageway eading from the crank casing to the top, of the combustion chamber, a valve for opening and closing said passage-Way to the combus-` tion chamber, a piston arranged to reciprocate Within the cylinder, means for admitting air to the interior of the crank casing asl the f piston nears the limit of its return stroke and means for depositing a body of liquid hydro carbony in said passageway in proximity to said valve in advance of the admission of air to the cranlcasing.

2. ln a hydrocarbon engine in which the rarefaction of the air m an air chamber is.

utilized. to feed the hydrocarbon and the compression of the an` 1n said chamber 1s utilized to force the hydrocarbon into the combustion chamber and atomize it, a valve for 'admitting the hydrocarbon and air into the combustion chamber andmeans for suspending a body oi hydrocarbon 1n the air passage leading to said valve whereby the compressed air is permitted to rush pastthe body of the hydrocarbon and open the valve before the hydrocarbon reaches the valve'.

3. .ln a hydrocarbon engine, a cyhnder, an

air chamber, a reciprocating piston arranged to compress and rarefy the air 'in the air chamber` as the piston advances andreturns,

the cylinder being provided With a port forv the admission of air to the air chamber as the piston nears the limit of its' return stroke, a diaphragm o )erated valve for feeding a body of liqui hy rocarbon during the rarefaction h 'In a hydrocarbon engine,ja cylinder, a

piston, `acranlr casing closed to forman air f chamber,I a combustion chamber opening-v..

into the' cylinder at one 'end thereof, an air passageway leading from the crank casing to the" combustion Lchamber, air inlet and eX- haust erts located'at the-side of the cylinder.

and a apted to be opened by the piston, the

one as the piston nears the limit of its .return stroke and the other as the piston nears the. limit .of its advance stroke, a tube extendin into the said air passagewayand provide( with an atomizing screen and With ali-open-` ing in its side to the air passa eway, ahy drocarbon feeding nozzle exten in Within'the` tube 'to a point between the sai l screen and opening and a diaphragm operated valve under the control of the rarefled air in the crank lcasingfor feeding a' body of hydrcarbonto the interior of said tube. f i

5. ln a hydrocarbon engine, the combinaf tion with the combustion 'chambenthervalve in its Wall, an airchamber in which the airis alternately compressed 'and -rareed by the en\.

gine piston, and 'a passa' eway 'leading from the air chamber 'tc said 'va ve, of means for sus. pending a body 'of liquid hydrocarbon .within and spaced from thewallf said passageway andan atomizingscreen interposed between f said hydrocarbonsuspending means and said yalve." 1

6. In a'hydrocarb ln engine in which a column of air is employed to carry a charge of conduit'for directing the-airintothe topof lthe combustion chamber and means `for retaining a body of liquid hydrocarbonfin said 'hydrocarbon into the combustion chambeiyfa @ond un; i

Eno combustion chamber,

1; such thm, e. ow iti nilo the n position to be forced by the co1- ifr along the conduit into the top of the arrangement portion of the air column y pest the body of hydrocarbon combustion chamber in advance i'oczn'bon.

my invention, I have presence of two witnes January 1907.

signed my name in` ses, this 31st day of 10 FRANK L. NIcHoLs. 

